Controlled characteristic impedance electrical connectors for interconnecting printed circuit boards frequently employ a ground bus which parallels one or more rows of signal contacts. Where relatively high speed, error free data transmission is required, special care must be taken when designing the components of these connectors to assure proper spacing and to minimize the effects of discontinuities. Such a connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,500 which issued Aug. 7, 1988 to Dola et al, and is incorporated by reference as though set forth verbatim herein. A blade-like male ground bus and a mating female receptacle ground bus are disclosed there where the receptacle ground bus is constructed from two mating halves. The two mating halves include flat opposing contact sections for mating electrical contact with the blade type male ground bus, and solder tails which extend into plated through holes in a printed circuit board and are soldered in place. From the electrical standpoint this is an excellent structure in such controlled impedance connectors, however, the two separate pieces of the receptacle ground bus are not easily assembled into the connector housing.
What is needed is a receptacle ground bus of unitary construction that will maintain the controlled characteristic impedance of the connector.